Cherry red lips and cigarettes
by snowdrifts
Summary: She would almost look angelic if it wasn't for her cherry red lips and the look in her eyes. Lucas can tell that the blonde is everything except the angel she's been pretending to be all night. [AU]


**A/N: Don't ask where this came from, I have no idea. This is an AU one-shot, with some Riarkle thrown in there because I can't help myself. ;) Hope you'll enjoy!**

* * *

He remembers she moved in the building on a cold November night with her best friend. One of his roommates knew the brunette best friend back from middle school, but he never introduces them. His roommate hangs out a lot at their place and it doesn't take long for the oldest of them to realize that the blonde is never around much.

* * *

Eventually, he's forced to talk to the brunette. They're both doing their laundry at the same time and it felt like the polite thing to introduce himself. "I'm Lucas." He says once the greetings are exchanged. She smiles sweetly and introduces herself as Riley. They talk about their interests and share a few memories about Farkle. He realizes that Riley is a complete ray of sunshine. No wonder Farkle liked her so much.

* * *

He meets the blonde roommate once Farkle invites both of them over for dinner. His other roommate, Zay, is excited about having girls around. Lucas rolled his eyes at his behavior and made a list of things he had to buy for tonight's dinner.

A few hours later, he comes back with groceries. Riley and the blonde are already here, and that's when he realizes how beautiful the blonde is. He had only seen her a couple of times, and each and every time it was just because she was passing by. The blonde catches him staring and raises a thick eyebrow at him. His eyes widen in embarrassment and he goes back to the kitchen before he can embarrass himself some more. Soon, the blonde joins him in the kitchen. She's wearing ripped jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt that hugs all of her forms and leaves nothing to the imagination. The white scarf she's wearing compliments her outfit, and she would almost look angelic if it wasn't for her cherry red lips and the look in her eyes. Lucas can tell that the blonde is nothing like an angel, probably the opposite of her roommate.

They put on some music and cook dinner together. He learns her name is Maya and he feels that it suits her very well. Zay calls her "May" and every time he does, it puts a small smile on her face. Lucas can tell that the blonde is doing her best to remain polite, because Riley is always giving her warning looks whenever Maya slips up and says something "un-ladylike". He finds it amusing, but doesn't comment on it.

After dinner, Maya gets up and grabs her leather jacket. Farkle asks her where she's headed and she replies that she's going out to get a pack of cigarettes. Zay gives Lucas a look that the boy was way too familiar with, and he ends up going outside with her to share his cigarettes.

She tells him that she never would have taken him as a man that smoked and he replies that if he didn't, he would probably end up gouging his eyes out. The blonde chuckles and nods her head, understanding how he felt.

A few minutes and two cigarettes later, the duo heads back inside and they finish the night by watching a movie. The brunette and the blonde then head back to their apartment across theirs, but not before Farkle receives a kiss from the brunette.

* * *

They meet a few times again when they go outside for a smoke. At first, he doesn't sit next to her on the park bench, but eventually, she invites him to sit down next to her. They talk about themselves, but neither speaks of their childhoods. He can tell her childhood wasn't as nice as Riley's was, but he's fine not knowing what happened. He understood what it was like to have a bad childhood, and that was enough for him to not ask about it.

He learns that she majored in visual arts and that she's teaching art classes in the high school near their apartment building. She wants to go back to school to teach college students, eventually. He tells her about becoming a veterinarian and she's impressed, calling him a nerd for getting straight A's throughout his high school years. They share a few secrets, and the next day, he always hopes to see her when he goes out for a smoke.

* * *

Eventually, Maya knocks on his door and asks him if he wants to go out for a smoke. They do this little game every day and every night, and he can't help but think of her in a more than innocent way. They're friends, yes, but he wanted more.

She declines his offer to a date next Saturday and that's the end of that. The next day, she doesn't knock on his door.

* * *

There is one night where Farkle invites him and the two girls to the bar where Zay worked. He accepts, thinking that even if the blonde didn't speak to him, he would at least get to see her.

That night, he drinks. The four of them drink and eventually, Farkle and Riley go back to her place. Lucas is wasted; he was never one to be known for handling his alcohol well. The blonde is barely drunk and she walks home with him, helping him into his bed. She leans in to give him a kiss on the cheek and he turns his head at the last second and steals a kiss from those cherry red lips he had been dreaming about. She laughs it off and sleeps on the couch.

* * *

They recommence their little game of smoking together a few weeks later. School is starting again and Maya has to work. Lucas has one more year of studies before officially becoming a veterinarian and she jokes about bringing some of her students to his clinic to get them fixed.

* * *

It's on a cold November night that she knocks on his door at 2 AM and explains in her drunken state how she feels about him. She kisses him, he kisses back and make their way to his bedroom. He doesn't sleep with her, that would have been wrong. He lets her sleep in her bed and he takes place on the couch, her drunken words still in his head.

* * *

She apologizes for her recent behavior when they go out for a smoke. He smiles and shrugs it off. The blonde explains why she can't have a relationship, fearing being left by a man she loved once more. He finally tells her about his childhood and she does the same, both of them realizing that they were more alike than they ever would have thought. He kisses her again and this time, she kisses back. He asks her out on a date, and this time, she agrees.

She brings her cigarette to her cherry red lips and takes a long drag before dropping it to the ground and stepping on it to extinguish it. He does the same and follows her inside back to their apartments.

For the first time, the brokenness in her eyes is gone and she gives him a real smile and he can't help himself, telling her how beautiful her smile is. She laughs and calls him a sap before making her way inside her apartment, and he smiles as he enters his, the sound of her laughter in his head.

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 **A/N: Don't forget to leave a review!**

 **xx**


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